Professor Mariusz Hamulczuk from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) notes that Poland sends more goods to Ukraine than it buys, in this regard, in case of closure of the border with Ukraine, the Polish economy would undergo significant changes.
He announced this on the air of Polskie Radio S.A., Ukrainian News Agency reports.
According to Hamulczuk, Polish farmers demand to close the border with Ukraine, arguing that the influx of cheaper food creates unequal competition for them, while such a move would be painful for the Polish economy.
According to the expert, this is due to the fact that Poland sends more goods to Ukraine than it buys.
Closing the border, Hamulczuk said, would also be unprofitable for some farmers.
He noted that price increases and, at the same time, production cuts are the biggest threat to farmers associated with the EU's Green Deal.
"Earlier, the EU climate policy provided, in particular, obliged farmers to leave four percent of the land under steam, and also limited the use of pesticides. Under pressure from the demands of farmers protesting against the mentioned provisions of the Green Deal, the European Commission adopted a decision partially abolishing the obligation of European farmers to keep the land under steam. The message of the European Commission notes that this decision concerns the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024," the expert said.
At the same time, according to him, the Green Deal forces to increase production costs and reduce its efficiency.
"While maintaining the same subsidies, the same support (for farmers), the incomes of agricultural producers may be smaller. In general, this is the essence of the Green Deal from the point of view of farmers. From the point of view of consumers - we should receive the best, healthier food, unfortunately, at higher prices," the expert explained.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in 2023 Poland exported PLN 51.7 billion (approximately USD 13 billion) of goods to Ukraine, while importing PLN 20.3 billion (approximately USD 5.1 billion) of goods from Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the blocking of the movement of Ukrainian trucks on the border with Poland, said that only 5% of Ukrainian agro-export passes through this border, so the reason for the protests of Polish farmers lies not in grain, but in politics.
On February 20, Polish farmers began tighter restrictions on the movement of vehicles on the border with Ukraine.
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